Page 35 of Monsters and Mocha

Darby shook her head slowly, unwilling to believe it. “I mean, she’s upset that I got the internship that she wanted, but why would that make her resort to murder?”

“Maybe she thinks that with you out of the way, she’ll be able to take your spot,” Henry offered.

“This all still seems very drastic.”

Fitz let out a long exhale. “Maybe, but it’s the best we have to go on right now.”

The clock chimed, calling Darby’s attention to the time. She reluctantly pulled away from Fitz’s hold. “I need to get ready.” She held up a hand. “And, as I told you before, I’m probably safer at the hospital than I am here. If it is Lacey, she’s not going to try anything with so many witnesses around. Probably. Besides, we work in different departments; I can go days without ever seeing her.”

Fitz, Henry, and Robertson looked at one another, holding a wordless exchange.

“Fine,” Fitz capitulated. “But one of us is going to be close by the entire time.”

Rather than fighting, she accepted their terms with a feeling of relief. “Wonderful. Oh, and Henry?” She turned to him with a wide, pleading gaze.

“Yes?”

“Could I please have a cup of coffee?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

DARBY

“Scalpel.”

Darby placed the tool into Dr. Fransten’s waiting hand as she kept a close eye on their patient’s vitals.

Heart rate, stable. Breathing, good. As long as we can keep her from losing too much blood while we remove this tumor, this should be a pretty simple case…which is good, because I don’t know how much longer I can keep standing.

“Shelton?”

She blinked, having completely missed whatever directive Fransten had given her. “Sorry, sir. What is it?”

“Vascular clamp.” He nodded with his chin in the direction of the tray of tools.

Darby quickly retrieved it.

“I’m making the final cut now. Attach the clamp as soon as I’m through.” Fransten kept his eyes on his hands as he talked. “Are you alright, Shelton? You look pale, and it’s not like you to be distracted.”

“I’m fine.” Years of ingrained habit made the lie come quickly. “Just a little worn down, but I can handle it.” She watched for the right moment to put the clamp in place.

“Hmm. And how is the captain? I heard he made an appearance here yesterday; I’m sorry to have missed him.”

“Recovery and rehabilitation seem to be going well. He has achieved almost full now mobility with both limbs, but it’s the⁠—”

“Dr. Fransten!” A breathless, frantic nurse poked her head through the door. “We have an emergency in the recovery rooms on the second floor.”

The doctor looked from her to their patient. “I’ll be done here in just a few moments.”

The nurse shook her head. “It can’t wait that long.”

Fransten sighed and gave Darby a rueful smile. “It’s always something in medicine, isn’t it, Shelton?” He handed her the needle he had just prepared. “Finish up here and then wheel her into recovery.”

In a bit of a daze, Darby took the needle from him. “Alone?” Despite her previous experience, she was still surprised every time he allowed her to act independently.

“We have established that it is within your abilities, isn’t it?” He raised an eyebrow at her while hurriedly removing his surgical gloves and scrubbing his hands in the nearby sink.

She straightened. “Yes, sir.”